The South western news. (Dawson, GA.) 188?-1889, 1887-11-16
TIE JAPANESE CAPITAL.
A Stranger in Toxic Would Think
Himself in an American CITY,

Toxic Cor. in Newark Advertiser. !
/ Your readers are all familiar
With the great cities of Europe,
either by actual observation or
through the columns of current lit
erasure; butless is known, perhaps,
about the great cities of Asia, and
it is about the city of Toxic. the
capital OF Japan, that wish to
write to-day. Ttis lareer than any
city on the American continent,
with the exception Of New York.
Il contains fully 1 ,250, 900 people
and extends over an area nine
miles long by eight broad. It is a
city of immense distances. For
instance. to 60 from the station as
you come in from Yokohama, to
the station you leave to go into
the country, you cross a distance
Of six miles, or about twice as far
as from the Battery to the Central
depot in New York. The city is
curiously laid out. In the very
centre is a large romd tract of land
containing the castle and some 9th.
CT pablic buildings. This is sur
rounded by meat or rather a ca
nal, which is in the form of a spi-
raj. Il goes around the castle two
and a quarter times. Within the
second ring are the houses of many |
of the nohlemen and some more of
the public buildings. Outside of
all this IS the city proper, which is
intcrcsocted III all directions by |
canals. Never was there seen a
city in which it was easier to lose
ones self than in Toxic The spi,
raj canal and tie many heavy
stone walls and frequent turnings
lnal~s one lose his bearings even on
q sunny day. The history of To-
80 has been called q history Of
fires, plaques and earthquakes. -
Z r'aF no one city can compare
i" ia ibis in the number OF lis dis
ssroes accidents J4 1900 it was
nothing bat lii1!e fishing village,
bit it vas, at ;h4t time, made the
capital Of this ST ION, and from
-hat liae It's growth was extremely !
.apil, rs can be gathered from the
sacJ hat in 1867 a greet nro, call.
FL The FIRE Of 5Ioi Be,1, destroyed
l0h046 poop'a and swept away
~ IL .:a'2-s 81 thr first nobility,
= Of other nohles, $50 temples
and 1900 streets; again in 1878.
only eleven years Later, almost the
whole city wos burned. In 1903 |
an earthquake carried away 81, 900
people, In 1873 a peshlence laid
lis hand on the city and took the
almost uncomfortable number Of
i90,00 souls. In 1856 10000
we're destroyed by earth
quake and 100, 900 paoploperisbed.
Fhose are only the greater calami-
les that have betallan this city,
md it is terrible record.
1t was 10 1873 that the Mikado
made the change of his residence
rom Kioto to this city, Since
hat time the two cities have grown
part, 50 that 1t Is hard to believe !
hat they belong to the same ma
ion. Kiato is old Japan, Toxic is
lew Japan. Through the center
i Toxic runs long street, her
Broadway and on either side are
me buildings. in the European
lyle OF artitecture. Everything
hat a foreigner would wish to use
u furnishing house or replenish-
ag bis wardrobe can be found on
bis street. All the signs are in
english, although often aeeompa,
led by the native language. A !
borough system Of paving, sewer
ge, illumination and horse-car
transportation make Toxic more :
European than some cities in Eu,
opo. Of course / went through
he bazars and temples and parks,
i OF whieh are interesting, Our
'usio' in the museum is worth
lenti6ning. 1t was stuffed spec
zen ofa native domestic fowl,now
lmost extinct. The popularity is
$ tail, which by measnrment is
nirteen Engiish feet long. The :
ody Of the bird is about the nor.
al size.